CHRISTMAS FEAST DRAWS HUNDREDS
Dinner at Kingston synagogue fills stomachs, warms hearts
Once again this Christmas, by offering a holiday feast to hundreds of people who might otherwise have eaten alone, members of Congregation Emanuel of the Hudson Valley answered the biblical call to care for and love the stranger.
For the third year in a row, guests of the Reform Jewish synagogue at 243 Albany Ave. on Wednesday were offered a traditional Christmas dinner, along with gifts, crafts, music and, of course, a visit from Santa Claus.
Joy Weinberg, one of the event’s organizers, said about 75 volunteers helped prepare the food and serve it to about 210 guests, and volunteered to clean up afterward.
In partnership with Family of Woodstock, Congregation Emanuel has served large crowds of diners.
“In year one we had 125 guests, and in year two 230,” Weinberg said.
The synagogue’s rabbi, Yael Romer, who was out of town Wednesday helping a congregant in need, said by phone that Jewish “traditions during this dark period of winter focus on bringing light, not just for ourselves, we are responsible for healing the world.”
“For us to be in our season and to increase the light ... it’s critical for us to also honor our neighbors,” Romer said. “I al
ways tell my congregants that on Christmas Day, we have nowhere else to be but helping our neighbors. From a Jewish perspective, we have even more of a responsibility.”
Guests of all ages Wednesday were treated to a meal prepared by volunteers that included a main course of turkey, salmon, rice and beans, and gluten-free, nondairy lasagna. Side dishes included baked potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, bread and rolls. And there were by lots of homemade desserts and fruit.
Weinberg said many Kingston-area businesses joined in the effort, including Boice’s Dairy, which gave 50 cartons of milk, and Bread Alone, which contributed bread and rolls to the feast.
Guests enjoyed turkeys donated by St. James United Methodist Church in Kingston, Hannaford supermarkets and the UlsterCorps Glean Team; Health & Nutrition sweet potatoes and Riviera Produce; Stone Soup stuffing; pies and cookies donated by The Cake Box in Kingston; and cookies, pies and bread from Meridith’s Bread in the town of Ulster.
There also were contributions from Mother Earth’s Storehouse in the town of Ulster and the Stone Pony in Saugerties, Weinberg said.
Toys for children were donated by The People’s Place.
Santa was played for the third consecutive year by Rich Joyce of Kingston. He said Christmas “transcends religion” and the Congregation Emanuel event is “a wonderful thing.”
Twenty five-dollar gift cards for adult attendees were donated by Hannaford, Sam’s Club, ShopRite and Tops Friendly Markets, along with a $50 gift card from Adams Fairacre Farms.
And for the first time this year, all adult attendees were offered a free pair of socks of their choosing, Weinberg said.
No party is complete
without music, and this one was no exception. Entertainment included Cantor Bob Cohen and the HV Jubilee’s selection of American standards; The Gold Hope Duo, with Lara Hope on guitar and banjo; the Saints of Swing, with Miss Renee Bailey.
And for anyone unable to get to the synagogue on their own, volunteers provided free transportation, as they have every year. Others delivered the feast directly to the homes of people who weren’t able to attend, estimated to be between 30 and 40.
When the feast ended, remaining guests were offered takeout containers and “the opportunity to take the feast home with them,” Weinberg said.
She said any additional leftovers would be donated to Family of Woodstock, for its New Paltz operation; to the Darmstadt Shelter for the homeless in Kingston; and to Chiz’s Heart Street, also in Kingston.